


Celebration

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, Drama, Episode Tag, M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-04
Updated: 2007-10-04
Packaged: 2017-10-21 04:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/220731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Rodney's scientists recounts the events of the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> Tag to Hotzone  
> McSheplets challenge 003. Outside In.

I never had a whole lot of respect for Dr. Rodney McKay as a human being until the day we faced the nanovirus together. He had always been the dramatic one, turning every niggly problem into a crisis, finding fault with everything I or anyone else did. Yet, as the last seconds of his life ticked down he started talking to Zelenka of plans on his laptop to keep us all alive should we not find another power source or re-establish contact with Earth. Yes, there were selfish words in there too, a fear of dying without ever having made his mark on humanity, without his family knowing what he had achieved. But, mostly, he thought of those left behind.

Like most of the others sharing his fate, I fell in love with him that day. Not in the deeply romantic sense for I hadn't spontaneously changed my sexual orientation. No, I fell in love with his humanity, with his passion for life that despite popular opinion actually encompassed ALL our lives. I'd seen his face when we lost Dumais, and then Hayes. I'd seen the devastation, the brightness of tears that he refused to let go because, for once, he was the strong one. He ranted and raved, he pushed and snarled at Beckett, at Biro, and at Dr. Weir. I'd heard the choked emotion when he realized he was next to die, and I celebrated his survival just as keenly when the minutes ticked by and he was still standing.

Even once we realized that his survival came down to the gene therapy that had taken with him and condemned me to Dumais' fate, I still felt relief that he would live. He stopped only a moment to celebrate his survival before diving head first back into the problem, the force of his personality driving others onwards, keeping them on track until the solution was found.

I saw his face as he waited to hear of Sheppard's fate, saw the relief that almost buckled him at the knees when he heard Sheppard's voice over the radio. As I celebrated my escape from death by nanites with the hugs and handshakes of those closest to me--and with whoops of joy, I almost but not quite reached for him too.

Hours later, I sat in the mess hall where Peterson had died and watched a far muted celebration as Sheppard laid a hand on McKay's shoulder fleetingly. I saw the tilt of McKay's head as he glanced up, their eyes meeting and holding for only a second but saying more in that look than McKay usually managed in a ten minute ranting monologue. It didn't surprise me when McKay waited with barely concealed impatience for a few minutes before leaving the mess hall, and if he happened to turn away from the labs towards the residential area, following in the direction Sheppard had taken moments before then what did it matter to me or anyone else here on Atlantis.

They both deserved a chance to celebrate their survival--together.

THE END


End file.
